


midnight fluff

by eponinegreyjoy



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Imsomnia, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sleepy Cuddles, Thunderstorms, emily can't sleep and spence takes care of his wifey, ian doyle is a dick, only mentions of penny and hotch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-16
Updated: 2018-10-16
Packaged: 2019-08-02 20:50:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16312469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eponinegreyjoy/pseuds/eponinegreyjoy
Summary: A late-night thunderstorm brings back bad memories for Emily, and Spencer can't sleep until he knows she's okay.





	midnight fluff

**Author's Note:**

> This fic takes place around season 8, after Em comes back and assuming she and Spence have addressed their obvious romantic tention. Also assuming Em never left, because screw that. Enjoy!

For what seemed like the thousandth time that night, a heavy bolt of thunder startled Emily awake, her hand instinctively going to where her gun would be holstered, only to find it empty.

She tried to calm her breathing by looking at the long haired genius still asleep next to her. They'd fallen asleep as soon as they got home from their latest case, too exhausted for sex or Doctor Who or even dinner. They’d just stripped to their underwear, and fallen asleep cuddled together like kittens.

Of course, that was all fine and cute until the thunderstorm hit, and Emily, out of pure pity for Spencer, rolled out of his grip and to the end of the bed, where her yelps and jolts wouldn't stir him.

She hadn't had the best history with storms. She'd been caught in more than one as a teenager, when she'd sneak out and return home to find all the doors locked as a lesson. Her mother never mentioned it, but Emily knew being stuck sleeping in the garage, thunder echoing all around her, was punishment for disobeying her.

When she was Lauren Reynolds, living as Ian Doyle's girlfriend, thunder reminded her of the doors he would slam whenever she stepped out of line. The cabinets he'd break. The dull crack of his fist against her cheekbone.

Now it just reminded her of gunshots, whether shots she'd fired or ones aimed at her or her team (her family). Reminded her of those dreams where Spencer couldn’t move out of the way in time, bled out in her arms at the hands on an unsub, while she was powerless to help. Those dreams were the worst, and when they hit after a rough case, she would scream herself awake, until she found herself huddled with her arms around her knees, tears streaming down her face, cold sweat breaking out all over. Without fail, he would always hold her to his chest, cradling her and rubbing her back, and he’d ask what the dream was about.

She’d never tell him.

Another thunderclap roared, and this time she flinched sharply, slamming her knee against the dresser.

“Oh, fuck!”

She’d tried to keep the curse as hushed as possible, hissing it through clenched teeth, but it was already too late. Spencer began to shift, turning towards her and opening his eyes sleepily. 

Damn. 

“Em?”

Her heart flipped at the nickname. They never had pet names for each other, she doubted they ever would, but it did something strange to her when she realized that he called her Em more than Emily or Prentiss now. It made her realize how comfortable they’d become with each other, how much he really was her best friend. 

“‘M fine,” she mumbled. She leaned over, smiling fondly at him and tapping his forehead gently. “Go back to sleep.”

“What about you? You can't sleep?” He was already getting up, leaning his weight on his arm to look at her in the steady darkness.

Lightning flashed, and she saw in his eyes what she’d heard in his voice: worry. She shook her head and sighed.

“I'm gonna go to the bathroom. Go back to sleep,” she told him, and stalked down the hall of his apartment to the bathroom, where she splashed cold water on her face and tried to calm her racing heartbeat.

She was a grown ass woman. An adult. Why the hell was she acting like this? And in front of Spencer? He'd been through hell and come back steadier than ever, always there for her no matter what was going on with him. He was unbreakable. What must he think of her, so close to tears from a goddamn thunderstorm?

_You're weak, Lauren._

She rested her head on the countertop, relishing the feeling of cool marble against her skin. She couldn’t let him see her like this. Not before she calmed down. She stayed like that for another moment or so, trying to remember advice she’d gotten from the therapists she’d had over the years. 

_Deep breaths. Ground yourself. Name five things you can see, hear, touch..._

When she was confident that her eyes were calmer and her skin less flushed, she walked back to the bedroom, where the light from Spencer's bedside lamp was glowing dimly.

“Spence?”

She stepped inside to be greeted by Spencer sitting upright, waiting for her. When he noticed her presence he set down the book he’d been reading, smiled and patted the bed beside him.

She crawled in next to him, nestling against his bony hip.

“Sorry for waking you.”

Spencer smiled at her, an easy, warm smile that lit her heart like a firecracker every time she saw it.

“It's no problem, really, Em. I don’t want you awake all alone. I have a book on my tablet, maybe I’ll read that and stay awake until you fall asleep?”

“Spence. You really don’t have to do that. I’m not a kid. You don’t have to take care of me.”

Lightning cracked again, and this time, she saw something much different in his eyes: hurt.

“Shit, I didn’t mean--”

“I know what you meant, Em. But it’s not true. I know you don’t need to be taken care of. But it’s important to me to make sure you feel safe with me.” His voice was achingly genuine.

Her voice was small and needier than she would have liked when she asked, “Why?”

Her reached out slowly, cupping the side of her face in his gentle hands.

“Because you’re-” He trailed off momentarily, eyes shifting down to the blanket. “You’re important to me, Em.”

She closed her eyes and gave herself a second to savor the moment, to let it fill her and consume her, before she opened them again and smiled.

“You know, genius, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you like-like me.”

The somber mood broke, and Spencer barked out a laugh. “Did we travel back to the year 1981?” he asked.

“What?”

“When you were eleven. Because that’s the only version of Emily that I thought would ever use the term like-like.”

She smacked him playfully on the arm. “Don’t make me feel old.”

“You’re not old! You’re perfect,” he insisted.

Emily rolled her eyes and shifted so her face was pressed against his chest.

“Do you want me to stop talking now so you can fall back asleep?” 

She shook her head. “Nah, keep talking, handsome. I like the sound of your voice. I may drift off halfway through, though…”

“So like every other time I talk, right?” Emily could hear the smile in his voice, and poked him half-heartedly in the chest.

“Hush, you. Go get your tablet.”

A kiss to the crown of her head. “You know that would require me pushing you off of me, right?”

She puffed out a sigh, snuggling closer. “Mmm… Not worth it.”

He waited until she got comfy, and then leaned closer to her, his chin resting on her hair. “I like the sound of your voice, you know. And how you look when you wake up in the morning, with your hair all messed up and morning breath. And how peaceful you look when you sleep, like you’re untouchable. And how you curl against me like I'm a teddy bear.”

Emily bit her lip, trying very hard not to grin like an idiot. What this man did to her… in moments like this, she felt like a schoolgirl with a crush.

“You are a teddy bear. You're so tall you're like one of those giant ones you order online.”

“One giant Shit Bitch bear?” 

Emily let out a very un-ladylike snort. “You're never going to forget that bear, are you?” Morgan had gotten it for Garcia last Valentine’s Day, a big brown bear with a red heart declaring Shit Bitch You Is Fine. Spencer had a laughing fit at the sight of it. She’d never seen him so amused by something so dumb, and all day she’d been smiling too at the sight of him.

Garcia kept it in her office for several weeks, until a disapproving and slightly judging look from Hotch shamed her into relocating it to her apartment. 

It had become an inside joke between the team, and occasionally Garcia brought it in after a particularly brutal case to cheer everyone up.

“I have an eidetic memory, so no. But I think that even if I didn’t, I’d still never forget that bear,” he laughed a little, stroking her back softly.

“It’s a good bear,” she yawned, blinking a little and shutting her eyes for a second. “Do you want one for Valentine’s Day?”

When she opened her eyes again, his were shining.

“Is that something we do now? Valentine’s Day gifts?”

She tangled her legs with his, pulling herself closer, and smiled a little as he brought his other arm up to wrap both around her in return. 

“I don’t know, handsome. Is it?” 

He rested his forehead against hers. “I’d very much like that.”

The peaceful moment was cut in half by another round of thunder, and Emily flinched away again, scrambling to the other side of the bed.

“Em,” Spencer tried. Emily held up a hand, wrapped a blanket around her shoulders, and moved to get off the bed. Spencer reached out and grabbed her legs, pulling her to him again as she landed against his chest with a whine.

“Spence, lemme go. I don't wanna keep you up.”

“No, I don't think I will,” he answered.

“Come on. I’ll go to the living room and watch Netflix till morning when you can get up and make me waffles. Deal?” That sounded reasonable for the genius currently holding her captive.

“No deal. I’m not going to sleep knowing that you can’t. I’ll just pull an all-nighter. What do you think I did in college?”

“Uh, not pull all-nighters because you were a child prodigy and automatically knew everything?” she guessed. 

Without even giving her an answer, he got off the bed and walked to her side, holding his hands out for her to take. Sighing softly, she put her hands in his and let him pull her up.

He led her wordlessly into the living room, making sure she was comfortable on the couch before he pulled his favorite wool blanket over her. “So, what should we watch tonight?” 

Emily shrugged. “You really don’t have to do this-”

“No, I’m doing it,” he cut in. “‘Alright. We could watch Tau.”

“Too kidnap-y. I don’t feel like going down that particular rabbit hole.”

Spencer nodded knowingly. “Got it. We could watch a Korean drama. Those are usually pretty distracting. The subtitles being on would force your brain to pay attention, make it much more difficult to focus on your anxiety,” he offered.

Emily nodded. “That could work. Your pick.”

Spencer selected Strong Girl Bong-soon and hit play on the episode where they’d left off. As Emily tucked her head into his shoulder, he swung her legs over his lap and hugged her closer.

As Bong-soon and Min-hyuk tried to solve the mystery surrounding them, Emily felt her eyelids grow heavy again, fluttering shut. She tried to open them again to follow along with the plot, but Spencer stroked a hand through her hair and shushed her with an, “It’s fine, we can replay it tomorrow,” and she felt them flutter closed again.

\------------

Spencer stared down at the raven-haired profiler in his lap, listening as her breathing evened out, and was glad she couldn’t see how he looked right now. It wouldn’t take an profiler to realize how smitten he was. He let the episode end, and when the credits rolled, he reached over to the coffee table and shut the tv off.

He hooked his arms under her long legs and hoisted her up and into his arms, so he was carrying her bridal style. Years ago, he wouldn’t have been able to, but he was proud to think that he was stronger now, and what better way to use that strength? Forget hand to hand combat and dragging unconscious victims to safety; all those workouts Morgan had forced him to endure were worth it just for this moment. They were worth it for the sight in front of him, of Emily in his arms, trusting him, maybe loving him? 

He didn’t want to scare her off by asking, but God, he hoped.

\------------

Emily considered herself a lone wolf. The idea of love was not something she put too much stock in, after all she’d seen and done and been through.

However.

She woke up the next morning tucked into bed with her favorite blanket over her like a burrito, safe and warm, and lay there for several minutes listening to the shower run. She told herself that in a few minutes, once she had sorted this strange feeling out, she’d walk to the bathroom and join him.

Anyway, if she did love him, she rationalized, who could blame her at all?

**Author's Note:**

> And that’s it! My first reidiss story done. And I do have some notes for ya’ll.
> 
> First of all, even though they’re probably like “who the fuck is this girl and why is she addressing us???”, I’d like to give a big shout out to blythechild and deejaymill. I am so very inspired by your incredible reidiss stories, and although I’m aware that ya’ll are Mozart and I’m 5th grade me playing Hot Cross Bones on the recorder, I hope that with practice I’ll someday get even close to your level of talent.
> 
> Also! I tend to insert my taste in music/films/shows into my fanfics (I have a Camp Camp fic posted that actually references Criminal Minds a lot) and this fic is no exception. The first I mentioned is Tau, which is an amazing Netflix film about a girl who is kidnapped by an inventor and bonds with his AI while trapped in his home. I definitely think it’s right up Reid's alley.
> 
> The k-drama I mentioned, Strong Girl Bon-soon is a really cute show about a girl who has super strength and the boy she protects and it’s v sweet and chill.
> 
> If you comment, my heart will nut! (Sorry. Blame my friend Sarah for that phrase being in my vocab.) But seriously, I'd very much appreciate it! Kudos are cool too. ;)


End file.
